Government donates GH₵1million to Kantamanto market fire victims

The government has donated GH ₵1million to support victims of the devastating fire that ravaged the Kantamanto Market in Accra on January 2 this year. 

The donation follows a pledge made by President John Dramani Mahama after the Kantamanto Traders Association paid a courtesy call on him.

The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, presented the donation on behalf of the President, expressing the government's sympathy for the traders' heavy losses. 

Mr Debrah emphasised the need for dialogue on redesigning the market to prevent future disasters and announced plans to rebuild the market into a modern, multi-purpose facility.

“There is hope. The President was elected to solve problems and he is ready to help devoid of politics,” Mr Debrah said. 

Mr Debrah was with the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Stanislav Dogbe and Nana Oye Bampoe Addo. The Legal Advisor to the President, Marietta Brew Oppong was also present. 

Rebuild 

The Chairman of the Kantamanto Traders Association, Reverend Opoku Afreh, thanked the President for the support, revealing that over half of the market was destroyed, including millions of cedis in sales and $1.7 million worth of clothes. 

“One wholesale, which has never been torched and bales of clothes worth $1.7million were totally destroyed,” he said. 

The association, he said, had negotiated a $100 million loan with Access Bank to build a modern market, but requires government intervention to resolve a dispute over the affected land.

Beneficiaries 

The GH ₵1million donation will benefit various associations within the Kantamanto Traders Association, including the Used Clothes Traders Association, Egg Sellers Association, Hair Dressers Association and Platform Association. 

Others are the Railway No.2 Sellers Association, Youth Clothe Sellers Association and the Shoe Sellers Association. 

These associations, comprising traders and business owners from diverse sectors, were severely affected by the devastating fire that ravaged the Kantamanto Market, leaving many without livelihoods. The fire destroyed over 7,000 shops.